President Petro Poroshenko issued a statement on July 17 in Kyiv.
Ukraine remembers every victim of the MH17 tragedy. Terrorism is inadmissible in any form and perpetrators of this tragedy must be punished.
Civil aircraft Malaysian Boeing 777 was shot down by Russian terrorists who used weaponry produced and supplied by Russia. A lot has been already done to bring the criminals to justice. The Dutch Security Council has conducted a comprehensive technical investigation into the causes of the disaster. Criminal investigation of the crime is now being completed under the auspices of the Office of the Prosecutor of the Netherlands.
Abusing the veto, Russia has blocked the U.N. Security Council decision to establish the international tribunal on the investigation of the MH17 tragedy, which is an indirect and logical proof of its involvement in the crime. However, jointly with our partners, we are doing everything necessary to bring those guilty to justice.
Just as every Ukrainian, I share the pain of those who lost their beloved ones in the MH17 tragedy. And I will keep on fighting for every criminal responsible for this tragedy to face a deserved and inevitable punishment.
U.S. Department of State
Press statement by Mark C. Toner, deputy spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, released in Washington on July 16.
Two years ago today, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, taking the lives of 298 innocent people from 11 countries. Our sympathy and thoughts remain with the families and friends of the MH17 victims.
In October 2015, we welcomed the findings of the Dutch Safety Board in its final report on the cause of the MH17 crash. This report validated that MH17 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. Our own assessment has not changed – the missile was fired from territory controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.
The United States continues to work with the Joint Investigation Team and law enforcement authorities. We have full confidence that these professionals are conducting an impartial, credible, and comprehensive investigation that will form the basis of an independent prosecution to bring the perpetrators of this tragedy to justice.
European Union
Declaration by the High Representative Federica Mogherini on behalf of the European Union, released on July 17.
The EU and its member states recall the tragedy of flight MH17, which occurred on 17 July 2014, and renew their sympathy to all those who have lost their loved ones. We all remember what happened two years ago with sorrow and sadness.
UNSC [United Nations Security Council] Resolution 2166 demands that those directly or indirectly responsible for the downing of MH17 must be held accountable and are brought to justice. The EU reiterates its full support to the work of the Joint Investigation Team and the ongoing efforts by the countries involved to come to an effective prosecution. States that are in a position to assist with the investigation and prosecution of those responsible must fully cooperate with the ongoing criminal investigation.
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission
Statement by the chief monitor of the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, delivered on July 17 in Kyiv.
We take this moment to again offer our sincere condolences to those who lost loved ones when Flight MH17 was downed two years ago in eastern Ukraine, with the loss of all 298 lives on board.
This tragic event affected many around the world, including SMM monitors, some of who were on the ground immediately following the crash. We recall that their involvement in the initial recovery efforts and in facilitating a localized ceasefire to allow access for emergency and recovery teams is a time of deep sorrow, but also of pride to have been able to assist in those dark hours.
The memory of those who perished is a reminder to us all that peace is precious and life sacrosanct.
Ukrainian Canadian Congress
Press release issued by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress on July 17 in Ottawa.
The Ukrainian community in Canada joins Ukrainians around the world in mourning the victims of Flight MH-17, which was shot down two years ago by Russian-backed terrorists.
On July 17, 2014, Malaysian Airlines Flight MH-17 was flying over Russian-occupied territory in eastern Ukraine, when it was shot down by Russian-backed terrorists with a Russian-made and Russian-supplied Buk missile system. All 298 people on board the flight were killed.
The Ukrainian Canadian community expresses its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims of this terrible crime, including the family of Canadian Andrei Anghel. We join them in grief and solemn remembrance. May the Memory of the Victims Be Eternal.
The leadership of the Russian Federation bears direct responsibility for this horrible act of international terrorism. In an attempt to hide its responsibility, the Russian Federation used its veto at the United Nations Security Council to block the establishment of an International Tribunal to investigate the MH-17 terrorist act.
Recently, Bellingcat released its latest report, “MH17 – The Open Source Investigation, Two Years Later,” bringing together two years of research by Bellingcat into the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on July 17, 2014.
The ongoing Russia-led war in eastern Ukraine, which has resulted in the deaths of over 9,000 people and 1.5 million internally displaced people, is well documented in many publications such as “Hiding in Plain Sight: Putin’s War in Ukraine.”
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) calls on the international community to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to justice. The UCC calls on Canada and her allies to declare the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics” terrorist organizations and designate the Russian Federation a state sponsor of terrorism.